Who created the original Pokémon concept before the franchise became a global hit?

Satoshi Tajiri created the original Pokémon concept before the franchise became a global hit.

Tajiri was inspired by childhood insect collecting and imagined creatures moving between Game Boy systems through the link cable. He presented the idea to Nintendo, where development eventually began with Game Freak and Nintendo staff.

The concept took years to become a finished game. Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan in 1996 after a long development period, with Tajiri serving as director. Ken Sugimori created the game’s artwork, while Junichi Masuda worked as a programmer and composer.

People sometimes credit Nintendo alone because Nintendo published the games and became Pokémon’s most visible corporate partner. The creative starting point, however, came from Tajiri’s collecting idea and his vision of communication through handheld hardware.